Since the High Line opened eight years ago, developers have rushed in to
build some of the most spectacular contemporary buildings the city has ever
seen. With more than a dozen projects designed by the likes of Gehry,
Piano, Nouvel, and Foster becoming architectural showpieces, today just a
few unsown lots remain next to the beloved greenway. Plans are now moving
forward to redevelop two of the most prominent underutilized sites. The
lots straddle either side of West 18th near where the High Line bends west
of Tenth Avenue.

Despite being surrounded by skyscrapers, Lexington Avenue south of the Grand Central business district has been able to maintain its old-school character of walk-ups and mid-rise apartment houses. While still overwhelmed by congestion, the avenue’s jagged streetwall and modest shops are a refreshing change from the blockbusters of Midtown. The avenue’s resistance to change may be coming to an end with a 31-floor midblock condo at 325 Lexington finished three years ago and a 14-floor rental at 229 Lexington having just topped out.

Before the 57th Street supertall boom began, the corridor had relatively few icons. But among those few, Sheldon Solow’s 9 West 57th Street stands as one of the most monumental buildings in all of Midtown, and also one of the most expensive. Now, the developer is building a smaller residential tower next door, at 7 West 57th Street, and the project’s designers, Hill West Architects, have sent along a rendering of what it will soon look like.

As YIMBY reported when new building permits were filed back in January, the structure will rise 19 floors and 237 feet to its rooftop, translating into relatively generous ceiling heights. Within, there will be 32,099 square feet of residential space, divided amongst 16 units, which will average just over 2,000 square feet apiece — a sure sign of condominiums.

There will also be 4,100 square feet of retail space on the first two floors, and mechanicals on the third floor. All of the condominiums will be full-floor units.

Design-wise, the building’s short height means it won’t make any dent in the skyline. However, in terms of its relation to the streetscape, the development will be positive, with an envelope that’s mostly flush with its pre-war neighbor. The retail space will also feature high ceilings, and it appears the mechanical space on the third floor will be illuminated at night, creating an especially attractive display for passersby.

Gene Kaufman’s design for the site is quite attractive, with a brick and bronze facade cast against enormous windows. The building will front directly against the sidewalk for the first five floors, enhancing the block’s street-wall, and yielding to a substantial setback up above, complete with a large terrace.

The project’s corners facing the intersection of 14th Street and 8th Avenue will also include another interesting feature. There will be two spots where the glass diverges from the brick and bronze, creating inset terraces within the exterior. These will be fronted by wavy glass, harking to the next-door One Jackson Square, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox.

The net result will be a handsome new office building that pays its due to the surrounding context, both historical and contemporary.

While this development is going to be a substantial improvement over the previous low-slung occupants, the building’s ten-story envelope is extremely limited relative to the lot’s actual potential. With the A, C, E, and L train’s 14th Street stop just one block away, and many more subway lines running in the blocks further to the east, the location is one of the most transit-accessible in all of Manhattan.

Permits have been filed for two new 12-story residential buildings in The Bronx’s Fordham Heights neighborhood. Manhattan-based UA Builders Group is developing the site, located at 2065 and 2067 Ryer Avenue, and the pair will be among the taller buildings in the area, which is mostly dominated by five and six-story apartment blocks. The site is four blocks from the Tremont Ave. and 182-183rd Street Subway Stations for the B and D trains.

The combined structures, rising to heights just over 110 feet, will yield nearly 90,000 square feet for residential use, creating 134 units. The development will have an average 670 square feet per apartment, which means rentals are likely. Amenities include a laundry room and recreation space for tenants. The first floors will house one apartment each, while rest of the buildings will contain 6 units per floor.

Permits have been filed for a 12-story mixed-use affordable housing facility at 1769 Fort George Hill, in Inwood. The structure would be an improvement from the site’s current situation. Residents have complained that the parking on the vacant lot has expanded without permits, and been used for commercial parking and a car wash. South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBro) will be responsible for the development.

Barbara Frazier of the Hillside Bogardus Community Association testified against the project, stating, “other high-rises [in the community] have a very small footprint surrounded by very large acreages. …The proposed Fort George building is right there at the subway stop, overwhelming the neighborhood.” Frazier also stated that the project was not affordable for the neighborhood, “where the median income was between $35,000 and $40,000.”

This one doesn't strike me at all as an obvious candidate for its own thread.

And I'll just sort of restate my comments here. Here's to hoping a design shake up occurs here. That station facing wall is a trainwreck waiting to happen, pardon the pun. So much potential that is executed horrendously. This project should be in the hands of a better firm, even if it means the design would be a bit more staid. That tacky passe wavy gravy on the roof? Seriously?

__________________You slip me the cash and I'll slip you the wiener.<><><><><><>IMPEACHMENT NOW!

For me it can be reduced to this: For every personal freedom we gained from the automobile, we lost in social cohesion.

BY: ANDREW NELSON 8:00 AM ON OCTOBER 23, 2017
TF Cornerstone’s new Hunters Point South Towers are finally getting ready to rise. The developer acquired the site back in 2013, and there have been major alterations to initial plans, including a substantial height increase for the two towers, designed by ODA Architecture.

Last week, Crain’s reported on the history of the site, and its evolution saw substantial involvement from state and federal agencies, as well as the city. While the scrutiny unnecessarily lengthened the construction process, the redesign that ultimately resulted will be a very positive contribution to the Long Island City skyline.

One of the first challenges to the project was Amtrak, which owns a rail tunnel that runs right underneath the center of the development. This meant Amtrak would need to sign off on any plans. To avoid that, a new proposal came out that moved most of the units into a tower, and then adding a concrete slab, supported by the buildings, to keep weight off the tunnel.

After pushing ahead with this idea, TF Cornerstone encountered an even larger problem.

“We knew there was an easement for a power line under the site, but what we didn’t fully understand was that the New York Power Authority would not allow any construction over it at all,” said Jon McMillan, TF Cornerstone’s director of planning. This wasn’t going to work for the city, and they eventually conceded to leave the center of the property undeveloped.

The final proposal retains the same unit count by raising the height of the two towers. The de Blasio administration has requested that a lower income bracket will have access to the nearly 800 units that have been registered into the city’s affordable housing program. A new elementary school will be included, as well as a one-story retail structure in the space between the towers.

A preliminary count reveals the taller tower will stand 55 floors to rooftop, which means its actual height will probably clock in somewhere around 600 feet, easily making it the largest building on the East River waterfront in either Brooklyn or Queens. With a proliferation of towers in the 30 to 40-story range, a few skyscrapers of greater prominence will help round out the visual profile of the city’s newest skyline.

The entire complex is going to yield nearly 1,200 apartments, right in front of the Hunter’s Point South Park. Residents will have views of the East River and Midtown Manhattan from prime waterfront property.

Now that complications have been ironed out and plans finalized, construction is expected to begin in early 2018.